What happens in your scene? Outline the basic events.
In Act 1 Scene 6, Lady Macbeth amiably receives King Duncan in front of Macbeth's castle, skillfully putting up a disguise to hide the malicious plan she and Macbeth are soon to carry out. As the scene ends, she leads the King inside. In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth is deeply troubled as to if he should murder Duncan or not. Lady Macbeth arrives to find her husband in distress and rebukes him for his cowardliness. Eventually, she succeeds in reaffirming Macbeth of his part in their plan, and the scene closes as Macbeth finally accepts his ambition over his conscience.
What do you think are the key purposes of your scene? In other words, why is this scene important? (Keep these purposes in mind as you make decisions about blocking and characterization.
The significance of this scene lies in the transition in Macbeth's inner feelings. Act 1 Scene 7 is the key point in which Macbeth clearly becomes an ill-fated man, as even he, himself, knows that crimes of blood will be punished by even more blood. In previous scenes, Lady Macbeth was key force of evil, but now, Macbeth has succumbed to the darkness as well.
What are your reactions to this scene?
The events which occurred in the latter scene of Act 1 Scene 7 seemed inevitable, for where would the play go if Macbeth didn't plan to kill King Duncan? I was, however, quite surprised to see that Macbeth still had some conscience within him, as he was struggling to decide if the benefits to come from the assassination would overshadow the consequences.
Character Report
What does your character want in this scene (this is the objective)?
Lady Macbeth in 1.6 through 1.7 has the assassination of King Duncan right within her sight. When she discovers Macbeth's internal turbulence, she swiftly ridicules and gradually convinces her husband to carry out the unspeakable act of murdering the very King of Scotland.
What is your character's motivation for doing what she does?
Lady Macbeth's reason for her actions is simply her insatiable and uncontrolled desire for power. Unlike most women who are often perceived as gentle forces in households who nurture and protect family members, Lady Macbeth is even colder and more ruthless than Macbeth, a savage-like warrior once on the battlefield.
What obstacles stand in her way?
The grand obstacle which blocks Lady Macbeth from her ultimate token of power is the existence of Duncan as King of Scotland. On a more specific note, Macbeth's temporary state of dubiousness hinders Lady Macbeth's goal until she manages to cunningly convince her husband to once again go along with the malicious plan.
What happens when your character confronts these obstacles?
In the case of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth chooses the most straightforward means to achieve her paramount objective: by assassinating the king. However, Lady Macbeth cannot kill her husband when he sways between his thirst for power and his conscience, for Macbeth plays the vital role in reclaiming the crown from the bloody hands of King Duncandoes. She instead coaxes and to an extent manipulates Macbeth into continuing to carry out their objective.
Are there any distinctive elements in your character's way of speaking? (Is her language elaborate, plain, musical, or what?)
From the several rehearsals I did with my group, I came to perceive Lady Macbeth as somewhat like a cold, slithering serpent that could access the situation well and make, if not, the best out of it. During certain sections of 1.7, Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth of his emasculate qualities--the uncertainty as to whether or not to kill the very king--but controls her bitterness to a certain degree. While neither outright infuriating her husband nor merely scratching his ears with petty words, she pulls the strings on Macbeth with adeptness. Her emphasis on certain words--or at least those I have come to understand as appropriate emphases--all seem to bear the sound of a snake's hiss.
What is your character thinking during the scene (this is the subtext)? (How does she react to the other characters and events?)
Lady Macbeth is a sly character; she hides her true intentions adroitly from outside viewers. While coming out to greet King Duncan and his company, she puts on the face of a humble servanrt, ready to service at any call. However, it is quite clear to the reader that her true thoughts would have been somewhat closer to putting up a flawless camouflage to not give even a single doubt upon the king. In 1.7, when she confronts Macbeth and learns of his indeterminate mindset, she cunningly stabs Macbeth's pivotal points with harsh, yet controlled, remarks to bring him back to his more sinister self. While doing so, like when facing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth would have swiftly calculated and decided which and by what ways to deliver her stings.
Scene Performance Reflection
1. Evaluate the performance of your group. What went well? What didn’t go well?
The performance of our group went as expected; there were no exceptional improvements or faults. One area in which we could have improved was the actual acting, specifically movement. As the stage was limited in space and direction, our group was not able to execute a more diverse set of movements. Using a higher pitched voice for my role as Lady Macbeth seemed to have established a more feminine image upon myself along with the various props which were utilized. Furthermore, I believe I looked at my script a tad too much.
2. How well did you contribute to your group?
As Lady Macbeth, I played a vital force in catalyzing the transition of Macbeth from a potential criminal to a clear evildoer. I added a sense of feminine presence by utilizing effeminate decorations.
3. How well did you perform as an individual?
As an individual, I wish I had been able to maintain a constantly high pitched tone while presenting my lines. I did mark parts which were to be spoken with emotion and various movements--such as the dashing motion of the hand in Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 58-60 where Lady Macbeth talks of killing her own baby--and as well as underlined lines that needed to be emphasized.
4. What could have improved your scene performance?
A better group cohesion, including further practice of the scene beforehand, would have improved our overall scene performance. Because the allotted time was shorter than scheduled, we could not set up transitions as smoothly as we wished them to be. Becoming more accustomed to our lines would have helped us with their presentations as well, such as looking up naturally while on passages that were familiar to us.
5. How did the scene performance help you better understand the play.
By presenting the scene as a performance in front of the class, I was able to understand the various emotions that lay beneath all the mountain of words. As I underlined certain words to be emphasized and looked up specific Shakespearean words for their definitions, previously half-understood passages became far clearer to me. In turn, I was then able to grasp the true purposes and natures of the characters.
Scene Analysis
What happens in your scene? Outline the basic events.
In Act 1 Scene 6, Lady Macbeth amiably receives King Duncan in front of Macbeth's castle, skillfully putting up a disguise to hide the malicious plan she and Macbeth are soon to carry out. As the scene ends, she leads the King inside. In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth is deeply troubled as to if he should murder Duncan or not. Lady Macbeth arrives to find her husband in distress and rebukes him for his cowardliness. Eventually, she succeeds in reaffirming Macbeth of his part in their plan, and the scene closes as Macbeth finally accepts his ambition over his conscience.
What do you think are the key purposes of your scene? In other words, why is this scene important? (Keep these purposes in mind as you make decisions about blocking and characterization.
The significance of this scene lies in the transition in Macbeth's inner feelings. Act 1 Scene 7 is the key point in which Macbeth clearly becomes an ill-fated man, as even he, himself, knows that crimes of blood will be punished by even more blood. In previous scenes, Lady Macbeth was key force of evil, but now, Macbeth has succumbed to the darkness as well.
What are your reactions to this scene?
The events which occurred in the latter scene of Act 1 Scene 7 seemed inevitable, for where would the play go if Macbeth didn't plan to kill King Duncan? I was, however, quite surprised to see that Macbeth still had some conscience within him, as he was struggling to decide if the benefits to come from the assassination would overshadow the consequences.
Character Report
What does your character want in this scene (this is the objective)?
Lady Macbeth in 1.6 through 1.7 has the assassination of King Duncan right within her sight. When she discovers Macbeth's internal turbulence, she swiftly ridicules and gradually convinces her husband to carry out the unspeakable act of murdering the very King of Scotland.
What is your character's motivation for doing what she does?
Lady Macbeth's reason for her actions is simply her insatiable and uncontrolled desire for power. Unlike most women who are often perceived as gentle forces in households who nurture and protect family members, Lady Macbeth is even colder and more ruthless than Macbeth, a savage-like warrior once on the battlefield.
What obstacles stand in her way?
The grand obstacle which blocks Lady Macbeth from her ultimate token of power is the existence of Duncan as King of Scotland. On a more specific note, Macbeth's temporary state of dubiousness hinders Lady Macbeth's goal until she manages to cunningly convince her husband to once again go along with the malicious plan.
What happens when your character confronts these obstacles?
In the case of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth chooses the most straightforward means to achieve her paramount objective: by assassinating the king. However, Lady Macbeth cannot kill her husband when he sways between his thirst for power and his conscience, for Macbeth plays the vital role in reclaiming the crown from the bloody hands of King Duncandoes. She instead coaxes and to an extent manipulates Macbeth into continuing to carry out their objective.
Are there any distinctive elements in your character's way of speaking? (Is her language elaborate, plain, musical, or what?)
From the several rehearsals I did with my group, I came to perceive Lady Macbeth as somewhat like a cold, slithering serpent that could access the situation well and make, if not, the best out of it. During certain sections of 1.7, Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth of his emasculate qualities--the uncertainty as to whether or not to kill the very king--but controls her bitterness to a certain degree. While neither outright infuriating her husband nor merely scratching his ears with petty words, she pulls the strings on Macbeth with adeptness. Her emphasis on certain words--or at least those I have come to understand as appropriate emphases--all seem to bear the sound of a snake's hiss.
What is your character thinking during the scene (this is the subtext)? (How does she react to the other characters and events?)
Lady Macbeth is a sly character; she hides her true intentions adroitly from outside viewers. While coming out to greet King Duncan and his company, she puts on the face of a humble servanrt, ready to service at any call. However, it is quite clear to the reader that her true thoughts would have been somewhat closer to putting up a flawless camouflage to not give even a single doubt upon the king. In 1.7, when she confronts Macbeth and learns of his indeterminate mindset, she cunningly stabs Macbeth's pivotal points with harsh, yet controlled, remarks to bring him back to his more sinister self. While doing so, like when facing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth would have swiftly calculated and decided which and by what ways to deliver her stings.
Scene Performance Reflection
1. Evaluate the performance of your group. What went well? What didn’t go well?
The performance of our group went as expected; there were no exceptional improvements or faults. One area in which we could have improved was the actual acting, specifically movement. As the stage was limited in space and direction, our group was not able to execute a more diverse set of movements. Using a higher pitched voice for my role as Lady Macbeth seemed to have established a more feminine image upon myself along with the various props which were utilized. Furthermore, I believe I looked at my script a tad too much.
2. How well did you contribute to your group?
As Lady Macbeth, I played a vital force in catalyzing the transition of Macbeth from a potential criminal to a clear evildoer. I added a sense of feminine presence by utilizing effeminate decorations.
3. How well did you perform as an individual?
As an individual, I wish I had been able to maintain a constantly high pitched tone while presenting my lines. I did mark parts which were to be spoken with emotion and various movements--such as the dashing motion of the hand in Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 58-60 where Lady Macbeth talks of killing her own baby--and as well as underlined lines that needed to be emphasized.
4. What could have improved your scene performance?
A better group cohesion, including further practice of the scene beforehand, would have improved our overall scene performance. Because the allotted time was shorter than scheduled, we could not set up transitions as smoothly as we wished them to be. Becoming more accustomed to our lines would have helped us with their presentations as well, such as looking up naturally while on passages that were familiar to us.
5. How did the scene performance help you better understand the play.
By presenting the scene as a performance in front of the class, I was able to understand the various emotions that lay beneath all the mountain of words. As I underlined certain words to be emphasized and looked up specific Shakespearean words for their definitions, previously half-understood passages became far clearer to me. In turn, I was then able to grasp the true purposes and natures of the characters.